The Congress has enumerated various clauses to ensure the health and safety of the people attached with coal and other mines. In a form of declaration it has observed that—
The top priority and concern of all in the coal or other mining industry is the health and safety of the miners;
Unsafe and unhealthful conditions and practices in the coal or other mines leading to deaths and serious injuries cause grief and misery to the miners and to their families as well;
There is an immediate need to provide more effectual means to improve the working conditions in the coal or other mines in order to prevent death and grave physical harm. Moreover it is also essential to prevent occupational diseases originating in such mines;
The presence of dangerous and unhealthful conditions in the mines is a serious obstruction to the future growth of the mining industry and should not be encouraged;
The operators of such mines with the help of the miners have the prime responsibility to prevent the existence of such conditions in the mines;
The disturbance of production and the loss of income to miners as a result of mine accidents or occupationally caused diseases improperly obstructs and burdens trade and commerce;
The Congress has further instructed to establish an interim mandatory health and safety standards and to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to develop and propagate improved health or safety standards to protect the health and safety of the miners. It has also instructed that each operator of a mine and every miner in such mine must comply with such standards and will also organise research and training programs intended to prevent coal or other mine accidents and related hazardous diseases in the industry.
